Top for vehicles and the like



March 9 1926. 1,576,199

F. K. LEWlS TOP FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 15, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 9 19 26.

I 1,576,199 F. K. LEWIS TOP FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 15', 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 9 1926.

" UNITED STATES FRED x. LEwrs, or ASHTABULA, onto.

T01? FOB- VEHIGLES AND THE LIKE.

gApplication filed November 15, 1920. Serial mi. 424,077. i

To dz? whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED K. LEWIs, a c1t1-. zen of the United States, and a resident of Ashtabula, county of Ashtabula, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tops for Vehicles and the like, of which the following is a specificw tion, the principle of the: invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other 1nventions.

The present improved top belongs to the class of so-called one man tops, in which the forwardly extending portion of the top structure is supported wholly from a single main bow, or standard, on each side. Such top may be more appropriately called a clear vision to'p since the object is to leave the entire tonneau space forwardly of such main bow clear of any obstruction, even where such tonneau is a two-seated one. The present invention constitutes in a sense an improvement on the type of one man top which forms the subject matter of the pending application ofCharles R. Allen, filed May 19, 1914, Serial No. 837,356. Such Allen construction-is characterized by :having an articulated outrigger ,bow attached to a forwardly inclined mainbow, which carries a rearwardly extending'supplemental bow, link and lever means connecting said outrigger bow with said supplemental bow whereby they are caused to move in unison towards and from said main bow. present construction I arrange the vertical bow, or the equivalent standards or supports, so that theywill stand approximately vertical in the open position of the top and do away entirely with any back bow which is necessary Where such main bow inclines forwardly asjust stated. In order to accomplish this result a different arrangement of link and lever means is employed and the structure of the outrigger portion of the top has likewise been changed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such dis closed means'constituting, however, but several of thevarious mechanical forms in l which the In the be used,

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a topsupporting structure embodying my present improvements, such top being shown as mounted on an automobile body or tonneau of conventional form, Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing a modified construction; Fig. 3 is a broken side elevational view illustrating the operative parts .of another modified construction; and Figs. 4 and 5 show, in two divergent forms, still another modification. 1 1 t It is of course a matter Qfindiiference whether the top is used on automobile, motor-boat or otherwise. It will also beunderstood thatthe term bow is used herein inclusively, and to designate, not merely the Wooden bow proper, but also the metallic sockets that carry the same, these parts when regarded in side elevation constitutingithe equivalent of theso-called sticks as they are called in the all wood structure, It is accordinglya matter of convenience to refer to the partsin the singular, as though the structure lay all in a singlevertical plane, since the parts of interest dosubstantially lie in such a plane.-

As previously indicated, the top covering 1 is designed to be entirely supported through an appropriate outrigger structure from a single main support or standard 2.

The latter, which is of substantial construc-- tion in view of the weight it isthus designed to carry, is pivotally supported upon,

principle of the invention mayor attached to the body at the point 3 in the usual manner, so that it may belaid down and supported in asubstantially horizontal plane when the top is not in use. In the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 this support is not shown as carrying a bow,,its upper end terminating short ofthe top covering 1. However, as shown in Fig. 3,where it is desired to build the top of increased longitudinal extentso thatthe other parts require to be spaced further apart, a

bow may be carried by said support, or

standard 2, without interfering with the other parts. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 said standard 2, in the extended or open condition of the top, is designed to occupy a substantially vertical position, being held from swinging forwardly by special straps (not. shown), or extensions of the longitudinal strainers, which, as is well known, are used to connect the bows together and provide supporting means for the top covering intermediate between said bows. For the purpose in hand such straps or strainers may be regarded as a part of the covering material. 1. 1 r

Referring, first of all, specifically to the construction shown in Fig. 1, the outrigger structure will be seen to comprise a; main articulated auxiliarv bow 6, or, as it is some-- times called, outrigger how, the latter term referring more particularly tothe-outer por- ,tion or bow 7 proper, 'which'is secured to 1 the-standard2 by means'of an arm 8, (one on each side of course) swingably attached to "such standard, by means presently to be described, and pivotally connected to the rear end of such outrigger bow by means of a'rule joint 9. Where the standard 2 does not carry abow, as in the instant case, I mount in the upper end of said standard, which otherwise is similar to the ordinary bow socket, a plate-like bracket 10,- to which ed at an intermediate'point 14 to the outrigger bow 7 just forwardly of the joint 9. 4 The'rear end of said link13is pivotallyattached atthe point 15 to a supplemental how '16 pivotally supported on'the swing arm 8, while its forward end has pivotally attached thereto a second outrigger bow 17 that is designedtolie in a substantially horizontal plane when the' top is open, and to support the extreme forward-portion of the top cover in such position, such bow being suitably attached to the front part of the body through the windshield frame 18 or other means as found most convenient. The joint 19 between the rear portion 11 and the forward portion 17 of said second auxiliary or outrigger bow, is preferably arule joint as shown, but a lin'k20 isdesirably utilized to connect the forward portions ofthe two outrigger bows, to relieve this j oint of some of the strain imposed thereon and to more particularly assist in folding the parts when the top is being collapsed. r

The rear end 21 of link '12, it will be ob served, extends beyond thebracket-plate 10 and is connectedbv means of a' short link 22' with the curved lower endof the rearwardly extending supplemental bow "1 1, thus operatively joining the latter with the forwardly extending supplemental bow 16 and with the auxiliary bows 7 and 17.

-Accordingly, upon breaking downwardly either joint 9 or 19, the whole top structure will fold up, said bow 11 being brought into substantial alignment with the standard 2 at the same time that bows 16, 7 and 17 are brought into parallel relation therewith, the links 12 and 13 folding with a jack-knife action so that the latterwill not project beyond, but as a matter of fact lie well within the stack formed by the bows whencompletely folded. The position of the latter when folded is diagrammatically indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1, it being understood that when" thus folded, or rather incidentall'yto being thus folded, the standard- 2 will swing towards the rear and the stack may then be lowered into horizontal position along with such standard.

The construction of top shown in Figure 2 is substantially the same as that just described, except that instead of having a link 12 pivotally connecteda-t its lower end with the link 13, the point 15, fitWlllCh the latter is'pivotally attached to supplemental bow 16, is raised somewhat along such bow,- and the link 25 that 'corresponds'with said link'12,

is directly pivotally attached at a lower point 26 to said supplemental bow. The construction and "disposition of the remaining parts being thus identical, theseparts are indicated by the same reference numerals and it will'be understood that the operation in folding and unfolding is practically the same.

i In Fig. 3 the main standard or support 30 is shown as inclining slightly forwardly from the vertical in the extended or open conditionof the top, and the rearwardly extending supplemental bow 31, instead of being carried atthe very top ofsuch standard is attached at a point below the point of pivotal attachment ofthe swing arm 32 to said standard; Moreover, the latter, as previously indicated, may be provided with a bow 33in order to support the top covering (notshown) between the supplemental bow 31 and the forwardly extending supplemental bow 34 that is carried by said swing arm 32 in a fashionfsimilar to that in which. bow 16' is carried in previously described constructions.

- Said supplemental bow34 is connected by means of a link 35' with the outrigger bow 36 proper that is pivotally attached to the forward end of'the swing arm, and a second link 37 is inturn pivotally attached to said link 35 near its rear end, and to a'bracket 38-, which constitutes in effect an integral part of the main bow or standard 30. Said link 37 has an extension 39 beyond its point of pivotal attachment to said'bracket and a link '40 connects such extension with the rearwardly extending supplemental bow 31 carried by the main bow 30.

The position of the several bows in the folded condition of the top is in this case also indicated in dotted outline, and a detailed description of the manner in whlch the top is collapsed is hence deemed unnecessary.

Of the two constructions illustrated 1n Figs. 4 and 5, respectively, that of Fig. 4 embodies a swing arm 32and an outrlgger bow 36 carried thereby, arranged and disposed in the same fashion as in Fig. 3. However, the main standard 41 is here again substantially vertically disposed in the open position of the top, just as in Figs. 1 and 2, although provided with a how 42 that assists in supporting the top covering 1. Instead of having a single supplemental bow mounted on swing arm 32, as in Fig. 3, two such bows 43 and 44 are employed, three links 45, 46 and 47 serving to interconnect such bows with each other, and with the outrigger bow 36 and the standard 41, or rather with the bracket plate 48 on said standard. It will be noted that link 45, which is attached at its front end to the outrigger bow 36, is attached at its rear end to the forward supplemental how 44, that the intermediate link 46 is attached at its forward end to said link at an intermediate point thereon, and at its rear end to the rear supplemental bow 43, and that the remaining link 47 is similarly attached at its forward end to said link 46 at an intermediate point, the rear ends of both links 45 and 46 being curved downwardly.

As in the constructions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a rearwardly inclining supplemental bow 49 is attached to the main standard 41 and is operatively connected by link and lever means with the outrigger structure, such means taking thespecific form of a link 50 that connects an extension 51 of said supplemental bow 49 with link 47 forwardly of the point of pivotal attachment of the latter to plate 48. The folding operation, as before, is indicated by the dotted outline, and it will be observed that in the open position of the top, due to the substantially horizontal disposition of swing arm 32 and the outrigger bow 36 carried thereby, as well as to the rounded form of supplemental how 49 and the relative close spacing of bow 36 and supplemental bows 43 and 44, the effect of a so-called formed top is secured with rounded rear corners and all, just as in a permanent top, and yet the structure may on occasion be folded if desired. Such ability to fold, it will be understood, is an advantage in the manufacturing, or rather the assembling of the top even where it may not be expected that the user will ever care to drive his car with top collapsed. In other words, the building of a permanent top according to current methods of construction is rendered unduly expensive by the fact that practically all the work has to be done thereon in the shop where the top is finally assembled, and the frames, if made in advance require a large amount of space for storage and can be shipped apart from the car only at an increase in the way of freight charges. The framework of the construction of Fig. 4 just described, on the contrary can be folded into a very compact stack which can be readily crated for shipment and occupies a relatively small amount of storage space. Moreover, when the top is finally assembled an extremely rigid and substantial top is provided Which will be lighter than the frame of the ordinary permanent top and has the capacity of being collapsible should the user so desire to use the same.

The construction shown in Fig. 5 is substantially the same as that of Fig. 4, except for the arrangement of links 52, 53 and 54,

which interconnect the supplemental bows 43 and 44 with the outrigger bow 36 and the plate 48 or standard 41. Thus it will be straight and extend from one bow to the other directly instead of being attached at their forward ends to the next link in the series.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as re gards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by the following claim or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention In a top for vehicles and the like, the combination of a single main support pivotally attached to the body of the vehicle and adapted to stand approximately vertical in the open position of the top, a rearwardly inclining supplemental bow pivotally attached to said'support adjacent the upper end thereof, and disposedv to form the upper rear corner of the top when opened, a forwardly extending articulate-d auxiliary bow also pivotally attached to said support, a second supplemental bow pivotally attached to the rear portion of said auxiliary how, a link connecting said second supplemental bow with the forward portion of said auxiliary bow, a second link connecting said firstnamed linkwith said support, and another link operatively connecting said second link with said first supplemental bow, whereby all said bows are caused to move in unison towards and from said support.

FRED K. LEWIS.

seen that these links are all substantially Signed by me, this 10th day of November, 

